Ecological
Management
of Rivers in India:
A Long road ahead
Parineeta Dandekar, Himanshu Thakkar
www.sandrp.in
: A dry Satluj, 10 kms downstream of
1500 MW Nathpa Jhakri Hydel Project,
Himachal Pradesh
Right
What is Ecosystem Approach?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
According to the Convention on Biological Diversity,
ecosystem approach is a strategy for integrated
management of land, water and living resources that
promotes conservation and sustainable use in an
equitable way.
Ecosystem approach in watersheds is based on the
notion that water, biodiversity, and environmental
protection require establishing interdisciplinary, intersectoral and inter-institutional initiatives. (UNEP)
These initiatives focus on livelihoods and economies, as
well as ecosystem services essential to water supply,
groundwater recharge, erosion control, and water
purification.
In 2005, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA)
made a strong case for using an ecosystem services
approach.
MA stated that a future scenario consistent with
improved ES provision is one in which “regional
watershed-scale ecosystems are the focus of political
and economic activity” (Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment 2005).
Local institutions are strengthened and local ecosystem
management strategies are common; societies develop
a strongly proactive approach to managing ecosystems.
Tools like Payment for Ecosystem services through
community based approaches, not market based
approaches.
Ecosystem-based Management of Indian Rivers
• Unfortunately, Indian rivers have been
viewed at as only providers of water and
receivers of waste water and effluents.
• The ecosystemic links between upstream,
mid stream, floodplains and riparian areas
have not been the focus of any river
improvement schemes or developmental
projects
• National Water Policy accords 4th Priority to
Ecology and states that
– “Water is part of a larger ecological system.
Realising the importance and scarcity
attached to the fresh water, it has to be
treated as an essential environment for
sustaining all life forms.”
– “Minimum flow should be ensured in the
perennial streams for maintaining ecology
and social considerations.”
Above: Muck disposal, a few kms
downstream Karcham Wangtoo HEP, HP
However, it also states that:
• Water should be made available to water short areas
by transfer from other areas including transfers from
one river basin to another, based on a national
perspective.
With contradictions like these, ecosystem based
management of rivers in India, which lays stress on all
the services provided by rivers is still a distant dream.
• No credible or effective action has been taken to
implement the minimum flow provision of NWP,
• In costs benefit analysis there is no cost of destroyed
river services,
• In options assessment there is no attempt to find non
river based options.
Major Ecosystemic Challenges faced by Indian Rivers
• Quality:
– Around 33,000 MLD sewage is discharged into
rivers from Class I and Class II cities ( NRCP 2010,
CPCB 2009)
– Out of which, treatment capacity exists for only
about 12,000 million litre per day (36.3%)
– Out of which, 39% plants are not conforming to
the general standards prescribed under the
Environmental (Protection) Rules for discharge
into streams as per the CPCB’s survey report!
– 15,644 Millions Liter Per Day (MLD) of sewage is
generated from 35 metropolitan cities.
Treatment capacity for treating 51% waste water
– However, CPCB itself claims that there is a huge
gap between treatment capacity and actual
sewage treated.
– According to CAG 2011 Report, barely
10% of waste water generated in India is
treated
Impacts of deteriorating quality on communities and ecosystems
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Fisheries have been impacted severely due to sewage and
industrial effluents.
Fish kills are a common phenomenon and indigenous fish
species are becoming locally extinct
In coastal areas of Maharashtra, with more than 6 Chemical
Industrial Development Corporations, estuarine fisheries are
on the verge of collapse.
Chromium and Aluminium have been found in samples of
human milk, above permissible limits in Lote Parshuram
area. Health issues like asthma, gastrointestinal disorders
have been documented to be significantly higher.
CETPs installed in these Industrial belts have a consistent
record of absolute inefficiency, absence of transparency and
participation
This is happening in the Western Ghats, which is a global
biodiversity hotspot
Fishing villages like Dabhol near the Vashishthi estuary have
seen increasing rates of migration and traditional fisheries
livelihood has been abandoned
Six mega ports and coal based thermal power plants have
been planned at the estuaries, which support rich fisheries
and unique ecosystems. Negative impacts are already
evident.
Downstream rural communities are bearing the brunt of
polluting cities in the upstream. Villages downstream of
Ujani reservoir have recorded sharp increase in water borne
diseases in summers
Ecosystem Management of Rivers and Water Quality
•
•
•
•
While Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 Act talks
of preventing pollution, it does not address the need for ecological
management of rivers or even address the issue of ecological
restoration
We do not have biological indicators or keystone species associated
with rivers and all we know from CPCB and State PCB are the
pollution levels, not their link with the ecosystems.
All the projects funded under National River Conservation Program
focus entirely on city-based sewage treatment plants and cosmetic
beautification, and do not address the ecosystemic, basin wide
issues
After 37 years of creation of the act and PCBs, we do not have a
SINGLE success story of river revival.
–
–
–
–
CAG 2011: “River cleaning and control of pollution programmes for
our polluted rivers are being implemented since 1985.
The programmes seek to address pollution from point and nonpoint sources through construction of Sewage Treatment Plants,
low cost sanitation, electric crematoria etc. However, the data on
the results of these programmes are not very encouraging.
Ganga in certain stretches, Yamuna, Gomti, Godavari, Musi,
Cauvery, Cooum, Mahananda, Khan, Kshipra, Vaigai, Chambal, Rani
Chu, Mandovi, Sabarmati, Subarnarekha, Bhadra/Tungabhadra,
Pennar, Pamba, Betwa, Krishna, Sutlej etc., continue to be plagued
by high levels of organic pollution, low level of oxygen availability
for aquatic organisms and bacteria, protozoa and viruses which
have faecal-origin and which cause illnesses.”
Programs like NRCP and NLCP have not shown any ground breaking
results in the past 25 years.
Governance: Water Quality issues for ecosystem based
management of rivers
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
There is no participation of local communities in monitoring the functioning of
sewage treatment plants in cities
Local stakeholders are not a part of functioning and monitoring of CETPs in rural
areas, on the other hand, they are actively excluded
Survey Report of CETPs by CPCB, 2005, : “In general, the performance of CETPs has
been found to be very unsatisfactory, largely because of poor operation and
maintenance”
Conventional programs focus on energy intensive, centralised sewage treatment
plants which have not functioned historically.
Options like decentralised bioremediations, root zone treatment through riparian
zones, etc not explored.
There are no guidelines about riparian belts to be maintained along streams and
rivers in urban areas
Channelisation of streams and rivers in urban areas is the only response to flood
control
Gram Sabha resolutions against polluting industries do not hold good
Even at the central level, the National River Conservation Authority, chaired by the
PM has not met since 2003!! Standing Committee, Steering Committee,
Monitoring Committee have not met 4-8 years
Challenge of Quantity
•
•
•
•
Quality problems cannot be addressed
without addressing Quantity issues
While challenges related to water quality
seem to be somewhat manageable, water
quantity challenges seem very difficult to
surmount
Flow of the river is the ‘master variable’ which
affects nearly all natural processes in the river,
thus making it a key variable in ecosystem
based management of rivers
However, natural flow of nearly all Indian
rivers has been severely distorted, resulting in
major ecosystem and social impacts.
Muck Disposal, downstream of Karcham Wangtoo Project in Baspa River
Muck disposal in Baspa River: Karcham Wangtoo Project
Challenge of Quantity
•
Dams:
– With more than 5100 Large Dams across all our major and minor rivers, India is third in
the world in dam building
– Though our National Water Policy states minimum ecological flows will be maintained in
perennial streams, none of these dams are operated, intended or planned to release
eflows for downstream social and ecological needs.
– They do not have fish ladders or passes.
– Apart from their impact on indigenous and poor communities, they have fragmented
rivers many times over, submerged thousands of hectares of prime forests, driven native
fish species to extinction and have had a severe impact on ecology
– Actual benefits from large dams (irrigation, hydropower) are extremely over stated
– Performance appraisal of India's large projects show: Diminishing generation from large
hydro projects, large hydro projects not providing peaking power, large storage
capacities remaining unutilised, Stored water remains unutilised, creation of unviable
storage capacities, high costs of irrigation from large projects when less expensive
options exist & large dams providing hardly 10% of the food grains production, when
options could have provided greater output.
•
•
•
•
Outfalls of peninsular basins are falling sharply, with some approaching near zero
Coastal sedimentation has become a grave problem due to trapping of sediments behind dams like
in the case of Godavari river delta
Native fish species which migrate in the upstream are becoming locally extinct and endangered
Local livelihoods based on fishing and riparian farming has been gravely affected
l
l
Of the 30 basins marked as
Global priority for the protection
of aquatic biodiversity by
Jenkins and Groombridge (
1998), nine are from India due
to their extensive and
continuing development.
These basins include Cauvery,
Ganga-Brahmaputra, Godavari,
Krishna, Indus, Krishna,
Mahanadi, Narmada, Pennar
and Tapi.
With the exception of GangaBrahmaputra basins, all others
are marked as 'strongly
affected' by flow fragmentation
and regulation.
( Nilsson et al , 2005)
l
Above: In River Krishna, before 1960s, the discharge
into the ocean averaged 57 BCM per year. Since 1965,
it has steadily decreased at an average of 0.8 BCM per
year to reach 10.8 BCM in 2000,which is less than 15%
of its historical runoff, while it was almost nil in 2004
(0.4 BCM).
Source: Venot et al, 2003
Dams on Siang, Dibang and Lohit Rivers
Environmental Flows: Only a debate
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
We have not agreed upon a single methodology for calculating and releasing
eflows downstream of existing dams or dams under construction
Working Group on Minimum flows was constituted under the WQAA, CWC, but
their report was not accepted by the MoWR. No attempt at implementation.
Some Tribunals awards like Cauvery Award have allocated certain figure as
‘minimum flows’ (10 BCft), but there is no scientific justification behind that figure
Some states have issued orders like Himachal Pradesh HC states that all dams must
release 15% of the minimum flow downstream of the dam at all times.
Expert committee report indicates that neither is this adhered to, nor are any
provisions made for any such releases.
The figure of 15% of minimum flows is an arbitrary figure, without an scientific
justification.
On main stem of Satluj, more than 30 large hydro projects are under construction/
planned /proposed. Cumulatively, they will entirely skew the hydrograph of the
river.
•
•
•
•
•
Impending hydropower boom in Himalayan states
of Uttarakahnd, Himachal Pradesh and North
Eastern States, especially Arunachal Pradesh raise
very crucial questions about ecosystem based
management of our rivers
Cascades of hydropower/irrigation projects are
constructed/ under construction on rivers in states
like Satluj in HP, Alaknanada and Bhagirathi in
Uttarakhand and Subansiri, Dibang, Siang and Lohit
in Arunachal Pradesh, Teesta, Chenab, Ravi, Beas,
Narmada, Nethravathi, Chalakudy, etc.
Though called innocuously as Run of the River
projects, these projects have a huge storage
component which will affect downstream ecology.
They kill the river continuum by diverting the rive
from the course for upto 40 kms through tunnels.
Most of these projects are also heralded as peaking
power projects, holding back water for upto 20-22
hours and releasing it for generation in 2-3 hrs
Such releases have a severe deleterious impact on
downstream ecosystems and communities,
however, esteemed organizations like IITs are giving
clean chits to these project, without looking at the
ecological angle at all.
“In response to a series of RTI
applications filed by Himdhara
the department has revealed
that in villages located in the
area affected by the Karchham
Wangtoo project, by 2009
almost 43 out of 167, ie almost
26%, of water sources had
dried up and in 67 sources, ie
almost 40%, the discharge had
reduced. Similar data has been
provided for four other project
sites in different parts of the
state -- all revealing that
villages located above the
tunnel are indeed being
impacted by the construction of
these hydropower projects.”
• For example, dams planned across Dibang, Lohit and Siang, which
together form the mighty Brahmaputra will cause water level changes of
upto 7 feet in a single day at Dibru Saikhowa National Park, which is on
an average 100 kms downstream from these projects!
• This region is home to proposed Ramsar site, National Park, Important
Bird Area and a habitat of Gangetic Dolphin, our National Aquatic Animal
• Eflows calculated for this section claim to be using a world class
methodology called building Block Method, which rests on the premise of
meetings with experts and stakeholders to arrive at a consensus, no such
meetings have been held or consensus arrived upon.
• The most worrying fact behind eflow calculation and release is that pro
dam organizations are using exclusive methodologies without any local
participation or involvement of multidisciplinary experts
• For calculating eflows to be allocated, these organizations assume
degraded river status for rivers as pristine as Alaknanda, Bhagirathi and
then go on to allocate ridiculously low figures of eflows for them
• Multiple uses of river like cultural and social use, ecological uses,
groundwater recharge, pollution dilution, etc are not even being
considered.
Does the present institutional/ governance mechanism pay heed to
ecosystem management of Rivers?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
EIA notification 2006 excludes Dams for Industries and water supply,
flood control and also Hydro power dams less than 25 MW
More than 10 dams are planned in ecosensitive area of Western Ghats
to provide water for SEZs, industries and unplanned growth of
Mumbai. NONE of these dams, which are set to displace nearly 25000
tribals and submerge more than 10000 hectares of WG forests, need
EIA, public hearing or Environmental Clearance! There will be NO
Environmental Management Plan in place even to mitigate impacts of
these dams.
Hand in glove with powerful private contractors, government ahs
started work on dams like Kalu ILLEGALLY without any permissions in
hand
EIAs have become utterly false documents which do not reflect the
ground realities at all. Former Minister for Env. Has also accepted the
fact
EIA consultants have been openly, blatantly advertising the fact they
will handle ‘Everything from EIA report to Environmental Clearance’
Though are a corner stone of the clearance process, projects arePublic
hearings continuing despite total local opposition during public
hearings
There is no monitoring to check if the EMP is implemented and
functioning, participation of local communities in monitoring, which
can bring some democratic governance, is absent
Cumulative Impact Assessment and Basin Studies:
NO ecological considerations
AHEC, IIT R Cumulative Impact Assessment of projects on Upper Ganga:
• In case of our ‘National River’ Ganga which has more than 135 projects proposed, planned and
under construction in the upper stretch on Alaknanda and Bhagirathi, MoEF had asked the AHEC,
IIT Roorkie to study the Cumulative Impact of such a huge number of dams on the ecology of the
river
• The Cumulative Impact Assessment Study is a greenwashing document which does not address the
cumulative impacts in form of changed hydrology, sedimentation, deforestation, muck disposal,
blasting and mining, etc.
• It has no comments on the impact of blasting and tunneling on local groundwater supplies, when it
has been documented that they have negative impacts on local water sovereignty in Uttarakhand
and HP
• Eflows assessment is not done using the best available methodology of building blocks, the
Environment Management Class of these pristine rivers which are ecologically and socially so very
important for India is taken as C and D.
WAPCOS Lohit basin Study and Cumulative Impact Assessment of Dams on Siang, Dibang and Lohit on
Dibru Saikhowa
• Does not even mention the social impacts of these dams on livelihoods, does not include impacts
of seven dams on the tributaries of Lohit, relegates lowest range of ecological sensitivity to the
basin and does not disclose what meetings were held to arrive at eflow figures through Building
Block Methodology
• The daily lean season fluctuation downstream of Lohits last project, Lower Demwe in the month
of February will be between 88 cumecs and 1729 cumecs will still be ecologically disastrous for
ecologically sensitive habitats in the downstream as is obvious from existing global literature on the
impacts of peaking hydropower projects
Length of free flowing rivers between
dams in a cascade
•
•
•
•
•
Cumulative impact assessment and basin study which
should be the basis for planning, decision making,
and implementing cascade hydropower projects is
being for namesake, when the projects are fait
accompli
Distance between two dams in a cascade in becoming
smaller and smaller. For example, distance between
180 MW Bajoli Holi HEP and 240 MW Kuther HEP in
Himachal Pradesh is ZERO. The Tail race channel of BH
HEP ends at the reservoir tip of FRL of Kuther HEP.
Same is the case with Hutong Stage I and Hutong
Stage II on Lohit river and projects on Subansiri River
The Expert Appraisal Committee, RVP, constituted by
MoEF sates that minimum distance between two
projects in a cascade should be 1 kilometer. Expert
committee in HP states this should be at least 5 kms,
pending studies.
But what is the ecological basis for these figures? Can
there be a blanket decision for all Indian Rivers?
Where is the Ecosystem Approach or even
consideration??
Is Climate Change factored in current management
paradigm?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Scientific studies published in research journals
show that large dams emit significant amounts of
methane, which is 21 TIMES more potent than
CO2 in global warming.
Methane is emitted from reservoir area, from
spillways, from turbines and from downstream
rivers.
Indian large dams, even by conservative
estimates, emit 17 million tons methane a year,
which is equal to emission of 357 MT of CO2.
This is about 18% of India’s TOTAL official
emission of 1889 MT in 2000; or almost same as
the total power sector emission of India in 200405.
We don’t measure methane emission from large
dams, even though planning commission has
been asking for it for the last five years.
The proposed 3000 MW Dibang HEP in Arunachal
Pradesh, for example, even by conservative
estimates, would emit at least 3.3 MT CO2
equivalent methane every year.
Tipaimukh: GHG emissions to be studied after the
clearance
The National Action Plan ion Climate Change does
not pay heed to poor and vulnerable sections and
their participation
Local Initiatives
•
•
•
•
•
•
Local initiatives, because of their direct and strong local
links with ecosystems, generally function through a an
ecosystem approach
In Kathani in Vidarbha, a dying river was revived through
constitution of no fishing zones, riparian zones and forest
preservation. This resulted in increased fish and
firewood, while protecting the river
In the neighboring Adan River basin, NREGA funds are
being used by the community for river restoration works,
resulting in improved fodder and firewood and improved
fish diversity
In Kolwan Valley in Pune, 16 villages have revived a river
Walki, improved its base flows through extensive soil and
water conservation works, formed farmers cooperatives
for organic farming and are reaping benefits from
employment generation, self help groups and improved
water security
In a small village of Golap in Konakn, Maharashtra, NSS
students and villagers desilted their river and reused the
silt to plant local trees along highway. They have been
doing this for past two years.
Examples of rejuvenation of Arvari through efforts of
diffuse villages in Alwar and revival of the Kali Bein
through community participation is well known
Framework for Decision making: Report of the
World Commission on Dams
•
•
•
The report was a result of an exercise in
which majority of commissioners were
supporters of large projects. This was the
first ever and most transparent, open,
inclusive
process
to
assess
the
development effectiveness of large dams
and it came out with a unanimous report in
November 2000. The Report offers a
framework for decision making process on
Large projects and options.
Unfortunately, none of Indian dams
confirm/
follow
the
framewwork
prescribed by the report
Even worse, some dam proponents
perform false studies to claim that their
dams follow WCD Framework, when they
don’t. (Ex. Rampur Hydro Project)
•
Conclusions:
– Ecological management of rivers seems to arise from a democratic and sustainable approach to
natural resource management in which science has a critical part to play, but the overarching motif
seems to be governance.
– Unfortunately, we do not seem to be making any efforts towards ecological management of our
rivers, on the other hand, with each passing day, we are degrading our rivers further, by polluting
them, drying them, destroying natural biodiversity and river continuum
– Local communities who are facing the brunt of this situation are having NO say in the happenings.
Example: Hul HEP, Himachal, Shai Dam, Murbad
– We are neglecting not only ecological management of rivers, but also social and cultural aspects of
river management
• Way Forward:
– Protection of headwaters, riparian areas, floodplains through a strong, forward looking policy which
looks beyond pollution
– Ecological assessment of rivers and water bodies to create a baseline information about biodiversity
and ecosystem goods and services obtained from these ecosystems
– Protection of rivers of significant ecological, social and cultural values as free flowing rivers, devoid
of dams and polluting infrastructure projects
– State of art environmental flow assessments and implementation for existing, planned and
proposed dams, with community participation
– Cost benefit analysis of developmental projects, which look at the full range of benefits accrued
from ecosystems to all stakeholders
– Exploring options like payment for ecological services, though with caution
– Decision making powers about governing their ecosystems to ecosystem dependant communities
– Integration and synergy between academics, governance and implemenation
A few question for the audience
•
Looking at the importance of geomorphology, fluvial geomorphology,
geology, etc., in shaping rivers and their dependant goods, what should be
elements which should be studied while performing studies like an
Environmental Impact Assessments (for projects like dams, hydel projects,
embankments, ports, etc.,) Basin Carrying Capacity Studies, Cumulative
Impact Assessments of projects which are set to change the ‘evolutionary
character’ of rivers through a Command and Control Approach?
•
What are the impacts of changed sediment loads, trapping of sediments, flushing
and sudden release of sediments, etc., on downstream river character and
eventually the goods and services from a river?
•
Looking at the army of projects in the Himalayas on nearly all major Himalayan
rivers, how are the scientists planning to affect the real time studies which will be
affecting rivers at all possible scales?
“Adequately Stirring Existing Ingredients Together for Sustainable River Governance”
Thank You!
South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People
www.sandrp.in
www.facebook.com/sandrp.in
[email protected] , [email protected]